----- Sebastian POV -----
I burst through the back door into the backyard, lungs stinging from the smoke. The sky had turned pitch black. The fire roared louder than before, but the screams… they were fading.
"Woof! Woof!"
Tied to the fence, a shaggy mixed-breed dog strained against his leash with sharp eyes.
"Charles!"
I rushed to untie him, fumbling with the knot.
"We must hurry! Come on!"
"Woof!" An affirmative bark.
We sprinted toward the back gate and as we got close I heard strange horse voices, so I slowed my pace crouching low hiding behind a bush.
Through the leaves, I saw a wooden cart loaded with imprisoned children from my village. Right next to it, four grown men knelt with their faces looking down as a towering bandit reprimanded them.
"OI, IDIOT! THIS ISN'T EVEN HALF OF WHAT OUR CLIENTS HIRED US FOR!"
One of the bandits flinched.
"B-but boss, this is all we could find… The others must've fled when you caused the ruckus…"
"HUH? WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?"
"E-eh! N-nothing! We'll find the rest! I swear!"
"THEN WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? THEY CAN'T HAVE GONE FAR! BRING ME THE REST OR YOU'LL BE THE ONE WE SELL OFF NEXT!"
"R-right, boss! You heard him! Expand the search!"
It's only a matter of time before they find me… What do I do…?
"Woof!"
Charles called my attention as his gaze locked on the tall grass fields beyond the clearing.
Of course the tall grass! Me and the other kids used to play there. Even the bandits wouldn't be able to track me easily.
"Good thinking, Charles! Let's go!"
"Woof!" his tail swung with enthusiasm.
I bolted toward the grass, heart hammering. But just as I reached the edge.
"OI, KID! STAY THERE!"
A bandit had spotted me as I plunged into the tall grass.
"OI, IDIOTS! HE'S IN THE TALL GRASS! AFTER HIM!"
The bandits gave chase.
I had a head start but I could hear the the tall grass hissing and heavy boots hammering the ground behind me.
Anxiety clawed at my chest as I pushed myself past the whipping glass blades.
Every breath tasted like fire. Hands and face were scrapped with cuts and bruises from forcing my way through the grass.
As I could only think about escaping this nightmare, I heard a child's cry.
"Waaaah!"
"Brother, we have to go!"
"M-my leg hurts!"
I instinctively went towards the voices. Parting the tall grass with trembling hands, I peered through and there were two identical looking children covered in dirt.
"Alo! Aro!"
They froze at the sound of my voice as their expressions cracked in relief.
"Sebas!" Alo gasped.
But the clamor of pursuit was growing louder. No time to think.
I dropped to one knee, heart pounding, and gently slid my arms beneath Aro's trembling frame. His leg was swollen, so I cradled the injury with one arm and hoisted him onto my back.
"Hold on tight" I whispered.
His fingers curled into my shirt, desperate and firm. That grip made me realize the cruelty of this situation.
"Alo, we have to move. Now."
Alo blinked and nodded. He turned and began to lead towards the woods as it was out only chance to lose our pursuit.
We tore through the grass as exhaustion clawed at my legs and arms at each step: my muscles spasmed like they'd been injected with fire and my lungs felt like they were never filling.
Our pace started to slow down ad the field that was once our shield has now stretched endlessly.
"They went over here!"
We could hear the pursues grow louder becoming a constant reminder to never stop.
Argh… I'm so tired.
I wanted to collapse and crawl up to my bed.
This is too hard...
I could feel my vision slipping out of focus.
Should... Should I drop Aro…?
Realizing what my thoughts truly meant, I gritted my teeth and my arms tightened around him.
Never.
Stay focused!
"I see the woods!" Alo cried, voice ragged with exhaustion. "Just a little more!"
His words cut through the chaos like a lifeline.
JUST A LITTLE MORE!
Those words lit a fire in me I didn't know I had. I surged forward, tunneling my vision on Alo's back cutting through the grass ahead.
I began counting my steps, one… two… one… two… A rhythm to drown out the pain and hold my focus.
Then the tall grass parted.
A sudden clearing, ten meters of open ground between the field and the forest's edge was our final stretch.
The sight filled me with relief, a false sense of achievement within the sight of hope. I did not know back then that I'd regret this moment for the rest of my life.
The momentary relief made my muscles relax, and my concentration shattered making me lose my balance.
I stumbled.
Aro slipped from my back as his small body tumbling into the grass.
I reached for him, but my arms felt like stone as they landed in the ground.
I placed my hands on the ground tryin to lift myself from the ground.
"SEBAS! ARO!" Alo's desperate voice rang out from the forest's edge.
A cold chill fell in the back of my head as I turned my body seeing a figure lunging towards me.
"GOTCHA KID!"
A rough hand clamped around my neck yanking me down with crushing force. My body hit the ground hard knocking air out of my lungs.
A side of my face landed in the flat ground while my eyes were facing Aro.
He was curled beside me, eyes wide, face streaked with tears.
The bandit loomed over us, grinning with rotten teeth.
"TWO FOR ONE! AIN'T I A LUCKY ONE…?!"
Then Charles came charging biting the bandit's arm.
"ARRRGH! STUPID MUTT! LET ME GO!"
The grip on my neck was let go and I gasped for air, then I quickly pushed my body upwards as I clenched my fist and pulled my arm backwards.
I turned around as I placed further strength in my arms diving straight into the bandit's junk with all merciless.
He crumpled as his hands clutching the spot I'd struck, and he slowly fell with knees hitting the ground.
I turned to grab Aro.
But another bandit was already seizing him.
My breath caught as my thoughts overflow.
What do I do? Do I fight? Do I run?
Myy eyes snapped onto the forest ahead.
Can I even save him?
Before I could move, the bandit that was struck rose groaning with eyes burning with rage.
"YOU'RE DONE, KID! I WON'T BE SPARING YOU!"
He drew his sword, and the air was thicken with bloodlust.
The killing intent made my body freeze.
He lunged with the blade pointing towards my neck and before the blade could reach.
Charles launched himself at the bandit once again, fiercely sinking his teeth deep into the man's arm.
In response, the bandit seized Charles by the neck and wrenched him free, tearing the dog's jaws from his arm with brute force.
Then he pulled his sword as he angled towards the dog.
"Stupid mutt!"
In a single thrust, the cold steel penetrated the dog's chest as blood splurged from the entrance injury.
As if in the morning an irrigation sprinkler showered the grass with water, Charle's blood showered in the moonlight drenching across the short grass.
Time slowed as I watched his once bright eyes filled with warmth becomes dim and distant.
Whimpers
And then… The light that used to dance in his eyes were gone.
"C-charles?"
As if the bandit found filth on his blade, he yanked it free with a sneer of disgust, then flung Charles's body aside spraying red paint further in the ground.
I watched as my fingers turned numb, my friend's lifeless form hitting the pool of blood with a wet splashing sound.
The world around me warped, distorted by the sheer wrongness of it all like I'd stepped outside time and into a nightmare.
"Tch… a filthy mutt dares to bloody my sword" he spat.
I dug my fingernails deep in the earth. Clenched my teeth and widened my eyes burning every facial feature of the man before me in my memories.
In my village, we treat life with reverence.
We kill to eat. We kill to protect.
Death walks beside us, but never like this.
Never like this.
For the first time in my life, I felt pure undiluted hatred.
As if words were spoken through my soul rather through my body.
I will slaughter you.